Memphis Flyer 6/6/2024

SHARA CLARK Editor-in-Chief

ABIGAIL MORICI Managing Editor

JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Senior Editors

TOBY SELLS Associate Editor

KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter

CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor

ALEX GREENE Music Editor

MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers

GENE GARD, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, PATRICIA LOCKHART, FRANK MURTAUGH, RICH TUPICA Contributing Columnists

SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER Grizzlies Reporters

CARRIE BEASLEY Senior Art Director

CHRISTOPHER MYERS Advertising Art Director

NEIL WILLIAMS Graphic Designer

KELLI DEWITT, CHIP GOOGE, DESHAUNE MCGHEE, PATRICK PACHECO Senior Account Executives

CHET HASTINGS Warehouse and Delivery Manager

JANICE GRISSOM ELLISON, KAREN MILAM, DON MYNATT, TAMMY NASH, RANDY ROTZ, LEWIS TAYLOR, WILLIAM WIDEMAN Distribution

KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

JERRY D. SWIFT Advertising Director Emeritus

THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 Phone: (901) 521-9000 Fax: (901) 521-0129 memphisflyer.com

CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, INC.

ANNA TRAVERSE FOGLE Chief Executive Officer

LYNN SPARAGOWSKI Controller/Circulation Manager

JEFFREY GOLDBERG Chief Revenue Officer

MARGIE NEAL Chief Operating Officer

KRISTIN PAWLOWSKI

Director

MARIAH MCCABE

and Accounting Assistant

PHOTO: ZIGGY MACK p12

Burgers, Wings, Pizza

Summer Learning

PHOTO: CLARK ORTKIESE

PHOTO:

THE fly-by

MEM ernet

Memphis on the internet.

RPS CHALLENGE

Jaslyn Banks and her family got adorably into the rock, paper, scissors challenge on Nextdoor.

MLGW

Head over to Memphis Light, Gas & Water’s (MLGW) Facebook page for a ton of news you can use. ere you’ll nd the newest water quality report, which is aces once again. e Memphis Sands Aquifer, it says, “contains more than 100 trillion gallons of rainwater that some experts believe fell more than 2,000 years ago.” Whoa.

e utility also wants to hire you, buy stu from you or your business, and let you use a new mobile app to make appointments for in-o ce visits. Also, a new survey asks how you get (and want to get) information from MLGW.

SOUTHERN ROLL

SkateLyfe TV posted a new video last week from May’s Southern Roll Memphis 2024. e 8th annual epic skate party brought some of the best on wheels to the city. SkateLyfe’s video makes the rolling, dancing, grooving, and showing out all look e ortless and uid. It’s worth a watch.

Questions, Answers + Attitude

Edited by Toby Sells

WEEK THAT WAS

By Flyer staff

Renters Sue, Tyre’s Skate Park, & Mr. Lincoln’s

A lawsuit contends illegal screening, park plans coming soon, and an iconic costume shop closes.

RENTERS SUE

Multiple entities have joined together to le an o cial complaint against a tenant screening soware for its alleged treatment of potential renters in Memphis.

e National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), the Fair Housing Rights Center in Southeastern Pennsylvania (FHRC), and the Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania (HECP) led a complaint on behalf of residents in both Memphis and Pennsylvania against Tenant Turner Inc.

Tenant Turner is a “web lead management and tenant screening so ware” which displays listings and can be used by management to screen potential residents.

“[ e] complaint alleges that Tenant Turner discriminates based on race by facilitating landlords to generate listings on its website that display a refusal to rent to people who use Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) and designing an algorithm that prohibits voucher holders from scheduling a viewing of rental units that display that refusal in cities of Memphis, TN, and Philadelphia, PA,” the organizations said in a statement.

HCVs provide low-income citizens with a ordable housing options, are provided by the federal government, and are available through places like the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA). According to the complaint, Tenant Turner allows landlords to choose whether they want to rent to people using HCV vouchers, even if the city has policies in place that prohibit discrimination on this basis.

TYRE’S SKATE PARK

e conceptual design for the Tyre Nichols Memorial is slated to be revealed midsummer per e Skatepark Project (TSP.)

Trevor Staples, e Skatepark Project’s director of grants and skate park development, said the next step in the development process will be to unveil the design that was created based on community input.

In April, the Tyre Nichols Foundation along with TSP held a design charette at the National Civil Rights Museum, where community members and stakeholders were allowed to share input on what they would like to see at the skate park.

is will be the second skate park dedicated to Nichols, as TSP helped revamp a skate park in Sacramento, California, with support from Vans.

“TSP wanted to support Tyre’s family through ampli cation of their fundraising e orts, which brought us together and since then we have been working with them in a larger capacity to help their goal of building a skate park in his honor,” Staples said.

“ is concept will allow stakeholders throughout the community to see not only the potential size and scope of the entire project [but the] inclusiveness of the skate park,” Staples said in a statement.

Dixon said the charette, in conjunction with the community and partners such as TSP and the “Hip-Hop Architect” Michael Ford, showed overwhelming support for the skate park, knowing that it would not only be a great way to commemorate Nichols but a safe space for citizens.

MR. LINCOLN’S

CLOSES

Mr. Lincoln’s Costume Shoppe, a Midtown landmark for more than three decades, closed last week.

Barry Lincoln, the longtime owner and shop’s namesake, is retiring a er building his business into a must-visit spot for Memphians wanting to look sharp for Halloween.

But the good news is, he wants to sell the shop. So maybe this is one Memphis tradition that can continue.

Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.

POSTED TO NEXTDOOR BY JASLYN BANKS

POSTED TO YOUTUBE BY SKATELYFE TV

POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY MLGW

PHOTO (ABOVE): CHRIS MCCOY Barry Lincoln; PHOTO (BELOW): FAMILY OF TYRE NICHOLS Tyre Nichols

TWIN OAKS MEMORIAL GARDENS AND FUNERAL HOME

A

lmost 40 years ago, in August of 1984, entrepreneurs Carl and Brenda Carter recognized the need for a cemetery in DeSoto County where local families could bury and memorialize their loved ones. They embraced the challenge to establish a burial ground that was not affiliated with a church or a family cemetery. The result was Twin Oaks Memorial Gardens on Goodman Road in Southaven. At that time, the cemetery was across the street from a golf course and surrounded by nothing but vast, undeveloped land.

Fast forward to the early 1990s, when the Carters realized that a funeral home was needed, to better serve their clientele and the citizens of DeSoto County. Twin Oaks Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home opened as Southaven’s first and longest-established funeral home.

members of the funeral profession. Dillon Dickey and Seanna Hamm purchased the cemetery and the funeral home from Mrs. Carter to continue the legacy that the Carters had begun. The facilities have undergone a complete overhaul with total upgrades to the lighting, flooring, painting, and furniture.

Carl Carter died in September of 2007 and his wife, Brenda, continued their legacy of operating the funeral home. In September of 2023, she decided it was time to pass the torch to new

200+ FUTURE full-time job opportunities in Memphis, paying 40k or more, are Job opportunities in Memphis, full-time, paying 40k or more, coming soon to BBA Talent Connect. Sign up today and prepare for your next career.

Dangerous by Design {

More pedestrians killed in Memphis than anywhere in the U.S.

CITY REPORTER

By Kailynn Johnson

Memphis ranks as the most dangerous metro city for pedestrians, with 343 pedestrian deaths from 2018 to 2022. Smart Growth America said this means more than half of pedestrian deaths (65 percent) over the last decade happened in the last ve years.

e nonpro t, dedicated to helping people who “want to live and work in great neighborhoods,” released its “Dangerous by Design 2024” report in conjunction with the National Complete Streets Coalition. e report found that 7,522 people were struck and killed by moving vehicles in the U.S. in 2022. ey also found minority populations such as Black and Native Americans, older adults, and “people walking low-income communities” to be more susceptible to walking fatalities.

“Our nation’s streets are dangerous by design, designed primarily to move cars quickly at the expense of keeping everyone safe,” the report said. “Researchers found that Black people are killed at over twice the rate of white people (213 percent), and for Native people, it’s more than four times (428 percent). For Latino people, there is

a 26 percent increased risk of death while walking. In addition, lower-income areas have far higher rates of pedestrian deaths.”

e organization interviewed local residents to not only put faces behind the numbers, but to hear their experiences rsthand.

Jared Myers, director of e Heights CDC, said in e Heights speci cally, many residents depend on sidewalks to get from place to place. Many places such as grocery stores are o en 20 minutes away by car.

“When I come to that intersection now and I’m walking, there is such a fear.”

“Memphis drivers, they just drive fast and careless,” Vernice Foster, resident of e Heights, said.

Foster said several years ago she was walking on the corner of Homer Street and Macon Road and was involved in a hit-and-run.

“When I come to that intersection now and I’m walking, there is such a fear,” Foster said. “Right now, if I gotta go, you know, I’ll go.”

e organization also interviewed Shannon Curtis, a Crosstown resident who primarily uses cycling and walking as their preferred method of transportation and prefers to take “neighborhood roads” when possible.

“I very rarely will not cross at a light,” Curtis said. “You’re supposed to yield to pedestrians, even if there’s not ashing lights, even if there aren’t yellow signs, you’re supposed to yield to pedestrians at a crosswalk, but no one ever does.”

Curtis also said they never take Poplar due to its design with seven lanes.

Design and consulting company Stantec’s Senior Principal, Complete Streets Leader Mike Rutkowski said Summer Avenue had twice the state average crash rate “for a similar corridor.”

“You have crumbling sidewalks, gapped sidewalks. … ere are segments on Summer Avenue that have gaps between high-visibility crosswalks. Certain areas [have] almost 3,000 linear

feet between a high or a protected or a safe crossing.”

As a result, many are forced to take an extra 12 to 15 minutes to cross the road.

“Inherently, you know they’re not going to do that,” Curtis said. “ ey’re going to run across there, even though it’s seven lanes.”

e report suggests improvements in road designs will minimize fatalities and danger. Advocates stressed current road designs o en prioritize vehicular speeds as opposed to safety.

“ e only way to truly stop this epidemic is to make safety improvements in road design,” Smart Growth America said in a statement. “Crosswalks are regularly missing or too far apart, intersections are di cult to cross on foot, and many turn lanes encourage going around corners quickly, which can pose a hazard. Many places people regularly walk have zero sidewalks.”

PHOTO: ADRIEN BRUNEAU | UNSPLASH Streets are designed to move cars quickly, the report says.

By Jackson Baker

State and Local

Rep. Camper proposes an initiative, and the county commission comes to a decision.

When Karen Camper, the Democrats’ leader in the state House, ran for Memphis mayor last year, she discovered that, her impressive credentials notwithstanding, she lacked the citywide name recognition of locally based o cials.

Consequently, she never developed enough traction to compete e ectively for the mayoralty. And her name recognition problem was exacerbated further by the fact that members of the General Assembly are prohibited from active fundraising during the course of a legislative session.

e reality, especially in the case of the minority party statewide, is that state legislators, however much they may shine in the environs of Nashville, simply lack enough day-to-day connection with local voters to become household names on their home front.

A possible exception to that rule may arise in the case of a legislator whose public activities impinge directly on a festering local issue — as in the case of Republican state Senator Brent Taylor, whose nonstop e orts as the sponsor of bills to a ect the status of local law enforcement have doubtless earned him a certain local notoriety.

a ected state agencies are:

• Job search opportunities from the TN Department of Labor and Workforce Development

• SNAP bene ts and Families First assistance from the TN Department of Human Services

• Help processing REAL IDs from

e TN Department of Safety & Homeland Security

• Mental health, addiction, and substance abuse counseling from the TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the TN Sports Wagering Council

• Legal advice from the Memphis Bar Association

• Expungement and Drive While You

Pay assistance from the General Sessions Court Clerk’s O ce

• Help searching unclaimed property listings from the TN Department of the Treasury

• Voter registration and information from the TN Secretary of State’s o ce and the Shelby County Voter Registrar

“ is is a great chance for me to talk with my constituents and hear their thoughts about the recently concluded legislative session and the direction of the state,” says Camper, and she may have something there.

Taylor’s party cohort John Gillespie, equally active on similar issues in the state House of Representatives, is on the fall ballot as a candidate for re-election and has attracted similar attention, for better or for worse.

e aforementioned Rep. Camper, meanwhile, is attempting to familiarize her constituents in House District 87 with the activities of state government by means of an innovation she calls “State to the Streets,” an event she will unveil on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at New Direction Christian Church.

She calls it “a unique opportunity” for residents of District 87 to engage with more than 20 state and local government agencies, ask questions, voice concerns, and receive assistance on a wide range of topics, including healthcare, education, employment, and social services.

Among the services that will be spoken on by representatives of the

• With the scal-year deadline approaching, Monday’s regular meeting of the Shelby County Commission saw action on many matters — including the county’s proposed tax rate and numerous budgetary items — deferred for further discussion at the commission’s June 12th committee sessions, but one long-standing uncertainty was nally dealt with.

is was the question of $2.7 million in funding from opioid-settlement funds that had been embedded in the sheri ’s department budget, pending the commission’s decision on where to route them — whether to a proposed program for remedial medical treatment of inmates deemed incompetent to stand trial, or elsewhere.

Elsewhere was the answer, with $5 million going to CAAP (Cocaine and Alcohol Awareness Program), and another $18 million to juvenile court, where it will pay for a variety of wraparound services for youthful wards of the court.

PHOTO: CAPITOL.TN.GOV

Karen Camper

By Chris McCoy

Pressing Questions

e man-bear quandary stirs meaningless debate online.

Thanks to a single post on TikTok, a question rocketed through social media and emerged into real-world conversations. Since the spirit of inquiry is in the Memphis Flyer’s DNA, we set out to explore the “man-bear quandary” and nd a de nitive answer. Our investigation spawned many other pressing questions. e following conversation took place entirely within the writer’s head.

Let’s say you’re walking alone in the woods. Which would you rather meet: a man or a bear?

I don’t know. Can you give me more details?

No. Man or bear? I choose bear.

Let’s say you’re walking alone in the woods. Would you rather meet a woman or a bear? Is the bear male or female?

It doesn’t matter. It’s a bear. It does matter! Is it a mama bear defending her cubs? Or is it a male bear with a belly full of salmon he just pulled from the rushing stream at the bottom of the hill?

I don’t know! It’s a non-bear-nary bear! Woman or bear, that’s the choice. Bear.

If your sister or mother or daughter were walking alone in the woods, would you rather she encounter a bear or a man?

I’m gonna go with bear again.

You’re doing this all wrong. at wasn’t a question. How are my answers wrong?

I’m trying to make a point about misogyny and sexual assault. Men are supposed to choose the man because bears are dangerous. Women are supposed to choose the bear because it’s not as dangerous to them as a man. About 20 percent of women will experience sexual assault in their lifetimes. Don’t you think that’s bad?

Of course sexual assault is bad! Listen, if you really want to make a dent in the Memphis crime rate, get to work xing the TBI crime lab. I’m just not sure questioning what a man, a bear, or the pope does in the woods is the best way to make your point.

Don’t bring religion into this. It’s a socialmedia gotcha question. Your response says a lot about you. Can you think of a better way to determine moral worth?

No, I guess not.

Right. So, why do you keep choosing the bear?

If all I know is gender, I’m going to have to assume the worst. People have all kinds of agendas. But bears only have bear agendas. ey’re not out to get you. ey’re just doing their bear stu . Stay out of their way and leave them to it. Bears can be dangerous, sure, but at least you know where you stand with a bear. If the choice is Jane the friendly forest ranger or a bear, I’ll choose the forest ranger. If it’s Tweakin’ Joe defending his secret meth lab, I’ll take the bear. Plus, bears don’t have guns.

Aha! You just chose the woman over the bear!

No, I’m choosing the park ranger. Women do meth, too. It’s all in the details. Is this like the Voight-Kamp test from the movie Blade Runner, where they try to determine if you’re a replicant by asking you weird empathy questions?

You’re walking in the desert, and you see a tortoise on its back, baking in the sun. Why aren’t you turning the tortoise over?

Of course I’m going to turn the tortoise over! I’m not a robot.

How do I know you’re not a robot? How do YOU know?

I prove I’m a human on the internet all the time.

Please choose all the images which contain a bear.

Exactly! Like an AI doesn’t know what a bear looks like.

Has the AI ever seen a bear?

AIs don’t “see” anything. It’s just making educated guesses about what comes next. AI is just spicy autocorrect.

Doesn’t “making educated guesses about what comes next” also describe human thought processes?

is is getting ridiculous. You can’t measure my humanity by asking about my reaction to animal encounters. e manbear quandary is just another “Would You Rather?” question designed to stir up meaningless debate on the internet. Good for procrastinating when you should be writing, but that’s it. Would you rather ght one man-sized chicken or ve chicken-sized men?

Obviously, the man-sized chicken. You obviously don’t play Dungeons & Dragons. A man-sized chicken is called a “dinosaur.” ey get two claw-attacks and one bite-attack per round. Smoosh a couple of the tiny men, and the rest will have to pass a morale check or retreat.

Would you rather duel Aaron Burr with pistols at 10 paces, or ght Abraham Lincoln in a pit with a broadsword?

PHOTOS: DREAMSTIME.COM

prove I’m a human all the time.

ge gy

Promise grows in one of the city’s quirkiest neighborhoods.

COVER STORY

By Toby Sells

Abass-and-drum beat boomed over a party that pulsed around the twilight-and-neon-painted patio of Rock’n Dough.

Pizza scented the warm air. Plastic cups owed with golden beer. Corn hole bags rattled, ew, and fell home. Balloon animals squeaked in the hands of delighted children. Duck pins crashed occasionally somewhere inside. Laughter and raucous conversation raised high over the entire scene, building a cathedral dome of fun and positive energy.

A new light switch ipped on in e Edge District that Friday night in early May. e once-vacant building (that formerly housed Trolley Stop Market) came alive again and drew scores to its shores for the promise of something new, exciting. e promise was delivered. e energy was electric, especially for that corner of town. But that sort of vibrancy is becoming more and more commonplace there.

New light switches are being ipped on all over e Edge. No task force was formed for its revitalization. No hashtag was blasted on social media. No special study for it was ordered by the Memphis City Council. at new energy is largely organic.

It’s been fueled with years of care and investment by the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC).

But an ad hoc group of Edge stakeholders is forging the neighborhood, too. ey gather and strategize (as they did recently) over a lunch snack of ribs and cat sh bites at Arnold’s BBQ and Grill. Ad hoc, maybe, but their members are mighty. Henry Turley Co. e MMDC. Longtime landowners who own and manage key properties in e Edge. If you’ve ever been to Strangeways Wednesday for free food and drink, you’ve experienced a portion of this group’s in uence. You’ve also experienced their overall mood for e Edge: fun, communal, welcoming, and connected to the neighborhoods around it.

Let’s Go to The Edge

e Edge is just quirky. Its mother might say, “It has character.” And it certainly does.

No one can agree on its boundaries, for one. Not really. Is it Union and Madison from Manassas to Danny omas or onto Fourth? Broaden that to capture Health Sciences Park and Je erson, right up to Victorian Village? No facts exist on this. Only opinions. e Edge doesn’t even have its own Wikipedia page like so many Memphis neighborhoods. Border disputes aren’t

new or controversial, though. Just ask a local to de ne Midtown. e streets in e Edge perform mindbending shi s from the traditional city grid. Arrow-straight Monroe terminates in the heart of e Edge, only to curve slightly north where it transforms into Monroe Extended. What? Marshall crosses Monroe in the center of the neighborhood at an angle that de es the city’s parallel street design. Madison ies up and over (for one of the best views of the city) to meet up with its old self on the west side of Danny omas. Why? e DMC website says the “odd, zig-zag streets and alleys” were laid out to accommodate railroads in the 1800s.

ose twists and turns make e Edge full of surprises, too. Siri led me to Arnold’s on a recent visit. I arrived. Nothing around but Mutt Island. But Arnold’s was right on the map. I turned and spied a sign with a pig and an arrow on it. I followed it. rough a brick archway, down some stairs, and across a grass lot, I spied another pig sign. I followed it (and the scent of pork and hickory smoke) to Floyd Alley and found Arnold’s. I felt like I’d joined a secret club.

Years ago, Tommy Pacello, the late (and missed) director of the MMDC, gave me a big surprise on a bike tour of e Edge, which even then brimmed with opportunity in his endless opti-

PHOTO (ABOVE): DMC Where Monroe meets Marshall

PHOTOS (BELOW): ZIGGY MACK Arnold’s BBQ and Grill

mism. We stopped at a weedy spot on the Madison bridge. He bid me look over. I found a deep, overgrown, urban canyon. From his experience with the successful Tennessee Brewery Untapped project, he said to imagine what could be done down there with some string lights and a few kegs of beer. at abandoned, forgotten canyon became e Ravine years later.

In e Edge, paint and body shops sit cheek by jowl with architect rms, tattoo parlors, salons, arts organizations, souvenir shops, brand-new condos, breweries, the headquarters of one of the city’s biggest homegrown banks, and that huge, gold guitar hoisted high outside Sun Studio, maybe one of the most photographed spots in Memphis. All of this sits just outside the steel canopy of Downtown skyscrapers and the glow of summer lights over AutoZone Park.

For all its quirks, deant nature, and surprises, one thing is a fact about e Edge: Mike Todd, president and CEO of Premiere Contractors, came up with “ e Edge” name. When he rst got there, he said the place “was a total wasteland.”

“The Last Place on Earth”

“I couldn’t let this place just become this shit place under the bridge,” he says. “So, we ran that place for 20 years as various entities. Los Comales just moved in less than a year ago.”

Todd likes and dislikes the moniker “the Mayor of e Edge,” even though he admits it’s kind of true. His company bought Premiere Palace in the 1970s. Even though the area was not even close to up-and-coming, he decided Downtown and the Medical District were good bets. So he placed his. e auto shops were there, giving credence to the area’s rst use and nickname, “Auto Row.” e shops serviced the Downtown community, diminished as it was a er white ight following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination years before. Later, o cials planned the area for a Biomedical Research Zone (BRZ). Landowners would get rich if they held onto their buildings, Todd says. But they never did because the BRZ never panned out.

But Todd didn’t leave. His company doubled down and bought the Stop 345 building on Madison in 1997. At one time he leased the building to a club called e Last Place on Earth, which hosted Eddie Vedder and Sonic Youth before its eventual close, he says. e trolley project came and took years longer than promised. is closed Madison and killed tra c there forever, Todd says. Tenants moved out but Todd didn’t give up.

it, or to go down to French Truck and get a co ee, or go to Rock’n Dough and get food. … It’s exciting that there’s so much stu down there now that’s walkable.” e Edge was “quiet” when Anthony Lee rst got there back in 2004. Well, quiet during the day, anyway.

“It would activate at night because of the club there, which was at one point 616 Club, and then Apocalypse, and then Spectrum,” Lee says. “ en, it was a strip club. So that one little building used to activate it on weekend nights.”

Lee is now the gallery manager at Marshall Arts, an Edge pioneer, founded by Pinkney Herbert. e studio and gallery was converted from an automotive shop, Lee says, just like Sun Studio and many other buildings in e Edge.

“Makers and the cra speople and the artists kind of converted some of those buildings and [ e Edge] took on another quality,” Lee says. “It became sort of like the cra district.

“Pinkney Herbert was probably

Scott Bomar was 19 the rst time he went to e Edge. His band, Impala, was recording an album at Sam Phillips Recording.

“I thought, man, this is where I want to work,” Bomar says. “Cut to a couple of decades later. Well, that’s where I work now.”

Even back in his teens, Bomar thought e Edge was cool. e automotive factories and auto shops were all there. He loves the new energy, too.

“We have a lot of clients who come in from out of town,” he says. “It’s really great to be able to walk across the street to the wine shop [Rootstock Wine Merchants] to pick up something if we need

the rst artist that imported that format from New York City. He created Marshall Arts in 1992 with his wife. He saw what they were doing up with there with all those old buildings in SoHo and the Lower East Side and decided to bring a similar idea back to Memphis.”

Lee lists a bevy of artists and cra speople still working in e Edge with woodworking shops, recording studios, a greeting card studio, and more. With the club gone, he says, the area shares a “twofold personality” with car maintenance and the arts.

“For years, this was a forgotten neighborhood, but sandwiched by growth in the Medical District and the vibrant Downtown Core, all eyes are now on e Edge as businesses, breweries, and restaurants have all become neighborhood staples,” says the DMC website.

continued on page 14

PHOTO (ABOVE): ZIGGY MACK Sun Studio

PHOTOS (RIGHT): ZIGGY MACK Sheet Cake Gallery

PHOTO (LEFT): ZIGGY MACK e Ravine

PHOTO (BELOW): ZIGGY MACK Rootstock Wine Merchants

continued from page 13

New(ish) Faces

Energy pulsed into e Edge before Orion Federal Credit Union got there. High Cotton opened in 2013, for example, and Edge Alley in 2016. But the Memphis company’s 2019 move from Bartlett to Monroe in the old Wonder Bread factory was a power station large enough to buoy con dence and development in the neighborhood.

“ e location in e Edge was chosen when the Orion leadership agreed that the organization could strategically position their corporate headquarters to anchor a historic Memphis neighborhood, end blight, spur commercial and residential growth, and reinforce a critical connection between the Medical District and Downtown Memphis,” says Orion’s board chair Andre Fowlkes.

e Wonder Bread factory sat vacant from 2013 to 2019, making the stretch of Monroe near the building and several surrounding properties “a visible eyesore that could be seen from hightra c areas including Downtown Memphis and Sun Studios,” the company said in a statement. Instead of tearing down the factory and leveling the block, Orion chose to keep the original shape and bones of the building and added a third story. A new, period-appropriate exterior facade was made of reclaimed bricks from the original building. And, of course, Orion kept that iconic, old-school Wonder Bread sign.

NEW NEIGHBORHOOD

BUSINESSES OPENED OR ANNOUNCED:

• JEM

• Rootstock Wine Merchants

• Inkwell

• Ugly Art Co.

• Sheet Cake Gallery

• Contemporary Arts Memphis

• HOTWORX - Edge District

• Rock’n Dough Pizza

• French Truck Co ee

• SANA Yoga

• Lavish Too A Luxe Boutique

• Memphis Made Brewing Co.

• Flyway Brewing Company (announced)

• Cafe Noir (announced)

• LEO Events

• Hard Times Deli (announced)

through to being open has been incredible for me. Everything has felt just right.”

When asked what drew Memphis Made Brewing Co. to open a new taproom in e Edge, co-founder Drew Barton says the answer was simple: Tommy Pacello.

“When we told Tommy we were looking for a bigger production space, he immediately began telling us about every space in e Edge he could think of,” Barton says. “It didn’t take long a er that to nd our new spot. We walked into what is now the production space and knew it would be perfect for us.

“At that point we didn’t even know about e Ravine. Once we heard more about the massive outdoor space tucked away in e Edge, we couldn’t wait to open a taproom with e Ravine being our backyard.”

Rendering of the Chestnut Cycle Shop and Tomorrow Building

“A better Memphis means a better Orion, and the headquarters move to e Edge was our commitment to the city,” says Orion CEO Daniel Weickenand. “A strong city core can create a ripple e ect for development and energy throughout the region. We’re proud to be a part of that.”

at ripple e ect is real (just check our sidebar with a list of all the new businesses and real estate developments). e energy is clearly there. Chef Joshua Mutchnick saw it and grabbed on tight. His JEM (Just Enjoy the Moment) restaurant opened in e Edge in April.

“Since day one, we had our eyes on e Edge District because we saw it as this upand-coming neighborhood that has some iconic landmarks in it, like Sun Studio, Sam Phillips Recording, the Edge Motor Museum,” Mutchnick says. “It has so much potential and we feel very lucky to be a part of that, and that we got on the boat before it le the harbor.

“ ere was concern once we saw Orleans Station being built. We were like, ‘Maybe we missed the ship. It’s too expensive or we’re getting boxed out,’ but we nailed it.”

Sheet Cake Gallery, a contemporary art

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTS:

• Orleans Station - 372 residential units, 16,000 square feet commercial space

• University Lo s - 105 residential (micro) units

• e Rise Apartments - 266 residential units

• 757 Court - 45 residential units, 2,400 square feet commercial space

• 620-630 Madison - three residential units, 8,700 square feet commercial space

• Tomorrow Building/Cycle Shop

• 616 Marshall/Inkwell/ Ugly Art Co.

• Revival Restoration (rehab)12,270 square feet commercial space

• 433 Madison - 2,922 square feet commercial space

gallery, opened on Monroe late last year. Its owner, Lauren Kennedy worked closely with MMDC and DMC on many art projects through her work as executive director of the UrbanArt Commission.

“I was familiar with all of the work and investment they have been making in e Edge, and that felt like something I wanted the gallery to be apart of,” Kennedy says. “ e support I have felt from both groups from when I rst started looking at spaces

As for when that taproom will open, Barton says, “We did end up having to wait a little while during the pandemic, but we are aiming to have the taproom open in late July.”

Leaders

At least three groups look a er e Edge: the DMC, the MMDC, and that group of local stakeholders. (An Edge District Association is listed on the DMC website, but the link to the group takes you to a foreign football gambling site with the URL northcountrycremationservice.com.)

e DMC has for years o ered a host of incentives to spur growth in e Edge and throughout Downtown. It o ers tax breaks, loans, grants, and other programs to promote the vibrancy of all Downtown.

e MMDC is in its eighth year improving and transforming the Medical District for some of the city’s biggest medical anchors like University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and Regional One Health. e group’s quiver of incentives helps people improve their properties, recruit new businesses, create new signage, and more. MMDC has invested $2 million in grants alone since its inception.

More than 20,000 people work in the 700-acre Medical District. But less than 2 percent of them live there. MMDC president Rory omas says most people would want to live close to where they work, “but if you don’t have the right housing stock and supply, that becomes a challenge.”

Bridging this gap is now a strategic objective for MMDC. omas rattles o a long list of new-ish, available apartment buildings — Orleans Station, e Rise Apartments, e Tomorrow Building headed for the Cycle Shop — all of them in e Edge. Fill those with professionals or students from the many medical organizations and e Edge would buzz with new foot tra c that could then drive new busi-

ness recruitment and overall improvement of the commercial corridors there.

e DMC and the MMDC work closely together on all of this and more, omas says. ey both work with that less formal group of Edge stakeholders that met at Arnold’s recently. is group (which featured members of the MMDC that day) has eyes on the bigger picture but also focuses on more on-the-ground issues.

How can we make e Edge more walkable and connected? Could Memphis Brand do a “We Are Memphis” billboard for the neighborhood? Should we make yers with a QR-code link to an events calendar that we hand out to visitors? All of it to promote the neighborhoods, connect them, and bring more folks in.

Alex Turley, CEO of Henry Turley Co., praised the success of other Memphis neighborhoods like Cooper-Young and South Main. But he says e Edge, the Medical District, and Victorian Village have something those neighborhoods don’t: a major employment center.

“One of our goals was to create a seamless connection from those institutional buildings right into a neighborhood,” Turley says. “ at informed the scale and the design of what we built at Orleans Station.

“You have Victorian Village and e Edge. ere’s this opportunity to help populate this neighborhood. You already have an established brand for a neighborhood. But how do we get those people who work and go to school in those institutional buildings to come across Manassas? at’s what we keep hearing. ey say, ‘We never come across [Manassas].’”

“Wasteland” to Next Big Thing

Remember when South End didn’t have a name? It was vacant, derelict, and spooky, according to some. Remember those blighted warehouses? Now think of how busy it can be at Lo in Yard or Carolina Watershed. Now think about all those apartments — completely lled — where those spooky, old warehouses used to be.

It’s a familiar cycle now if you think of South Main back in the 1990s or Broad Avenue a decade ago. e Edge could be next.

Energy continues to build there and energy has a way of attracting more energy. Big pieces are in place. Optimism is high. Leaders are motivated. And it truly is a community e ort in e Edge.

“A win for one is a win for all,” says Meredith Taylor, communications and engagement associate with the MMDC. “Talk to the businesses in e Edge and they’ll say one reason they decided to choose it for the roots of their business is that they feel supported by one another, that when they succeed, all the other businesses succeed as well.

“I do think that’s something that’s very special to e Edge District. I think e Edge is a good backdrop to create and build on the sense of place that’s already existing.”

PHOTO: CHESTNUT CYCLE SHOP QOZB LLC; CCRFC

steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

Yes, And

By Abigail Morici

Improv and music go hand in hand. A er all, how do you make music without a little bit of improv? But Zephyr McAninch, director of the improv troupe Blu City Liars, wanted to add more music into their improv because who doesn’t like a little bit of music with their improv? So they came up with the two-night Liar’s Ball, where the Liars will play improv games inspired by and backed by the tunes of Louise Page on Friday and Rosey on Saturday.

“Our regular shows typically don’t have a musical element,” McAninch says. “Every now and again, we’ve been able to work in a musical game. … But the ball aspect is there’s music very heavily integrated into the show [with the special musical guests].”

is ball will be the Liar’s second, with last year’s featuring Dandelion Williams and HEELS. “It was just such a success. I think it’s my favorite show we’ve ever done,” McAninch says. “It makes me feel like more of a rock star right there with the band. Everything we’re doing is a little bit silly, but it feels cooler when you’ve got Rosey giving you the backing track for your doowop song, or you got Louise Page laying down the piano for Hoedown [a musical improv game you might recognize from Whose Line Is It Anyway?].”

e show will also give audience members a chance to hear Page’s and Rosey’s originals in between games. “I can’t recommend these bands enough,” McAninch says, “so I’m excited for the possibility of getting to introduce somebody to either of them.”

But, of course, being the improv a cionado they are, McAninch is also excited about the possibility of introducing anyone and everyone to improv. “I think everyone should try improv,” they say. “I was the quiet, shy one before I started doing improv [in college], and when I told my parents I joined an improv troupe, they said, ‘You?’ … I just kind of fell in love with it. It’s a wildly fun, massively accessible art form, and it’s weirdly applicable to so many other parts of your life.

“Improv is just not knowing what’s happening. at’s everything that’s ever happening in your life. And on top of that, when kids play, they’re just improvising; they just have fun. We forget how to do it, so I just want to help people remember how to do it.”

So, in addition to shows like the ball this weekend where folks can watch childlike play in action, Blu City Liars hosts a free improv workshop where attendees can take part in the play themselves at eatreWorks@ e Square on the rst and third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. “It is no-commitment,” McAninch says. “You just drop in whenever you feel like it. We adapt what we’re talking about that week to who is there and what skill level is present.”

Keep up with the Liars at blu cityliars.com, where you can also purchase tickets for the upcoming Liars’ Ball.

LIARS’ BALL, THEATREWORKS@THE SQUARE, 2085 MONROE, FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 8 P.M. | SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 8 P.M., $12/ADVANCE, $15/AT THE DOOR.

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES June 6th - 13th

Laser Live: Chinese Connection Dub Embassy

Museum of Science & History, 3050 Central, Saturday, June 8, 6 p.m., $20 Join MoSH for the return of Laser Live, featuring live bands in the AutoZone Sharpe Planetarium, accompanied by laser light shows. is one-of-a-kind concert series is back by popular demand, so don’t miss your chance to see local artists perform in the most unique music venue in the city. ere will be drinks available to purchase from Crosstown Brewing Company, and DJ DY3 from WYXR will host and kick o Saturday’s event with a pre-show set at 6 p.m. en Chinese Connection Dub Embassy will take over at 7 p.m. with a 45-minute performance.

Purchase tickets at tinyurl.com/2dtur354.

Literatini

Novel, 387 Perkins Ext., Saturday, June 8, 7-11 p.m., $75-$100

Literacy Mid-South presents this fundraising event with food, music, drinks, dancing, a silent auction, and great books. Enjoy an evening of fun supporting the ongoing efforts toward 100 percent literacy in Memphis and the Mid-South.

Partake in tantalizing tastes from Libro at Laurelwood, Chef Tanocha with Big Momma and Granny’s Catering, Crumpy’s Wings & More, and Chef David. Dance to the fantastic spins of DJ Mary “ e K” and the Southern soulful sounds by e Gerald Richardson Band. Sample martini cocktails from some of the best bartenders in Memphis and help crown this year’s Literatini Champion.

Purchase tickets at literacymidsouth.org/literatini.

Project Green Fork Presents: Loving Local 2024

Grind City Brewing Co., 76 Waterworks Avenue, Sunday, June 9, 2-5 p.m., free

Project Green Fork presents its annual Loving Local, where you can savor the avors of Memphis with small bites from PGF-certi ed chefs and partners: Lulu’s Cafe, Good Fortune Co., Biscuits & Jams, Shroomlicious Meals, Da Guilty Vegan, and Mempops.

Raise a toast to sustainability with cra cocktails and locally brewed beers while discovering the impact of surplus and wasted food in our community. You can also enjoy samples and shopping experiences with eco-friendly products from Boshi Botanicals, Tiny Human Skin Care, and Samilia Colar.

Register to attend the free event at tinyurl.com/enwehb57.

PHOTO: COURTESY BLUFF CITY LIARS Blu City Liars

MUSIC By Rich Tupica

‘I

Am the Cosmos’ at 50

Big Star’s Chris Bell celebrated at River Series concert.

Where the Downtown skyline overlooks the Wolf River harbor and the Mississippi River, cosmic sounds will soon reverberate from the Maria Montessori School Amphitheater, where local musicians will come together to perform the songs of the late Chris Bell at the school’s ongoing River Series. Bell, the mastermind behind Big Star and his posthumous solo record, I Am the Cosmos, was born and raised in Memphis. While he saw little commercial success in his lifetime, neither his stillgrowing international cult fanbase nor his family have forgotten about his acclaimed body of work.

One of those carrying the torch for Bell is Brittain Wells, whose mother, Cindy Bell Coleman, is Bell’s younger sister. Wells now helps manage the school’s River Series concerts and wanted to honor the 50th anniversary of Bell recording the song “I Am the Cosmos,” the title track of Bell’s lone solo album. “Maria Montessori School is where our 3-year-old son attends,” Wells says. “How sweet that we can celebrate 50 years of this magical music as a family, a school family, and a Memphis community, while also raising money for Chris’ greatnephew’s school.”

e concert, set for Saturday, June 8th, at 5 p.m., will feature Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, Van Duren, Greg Cartwright, Adam Hill, Alex Greene, Krista Wroten, and more. e Turnstyles open the show. Wells, 38, was born years a er Bell was tragically killed at age 27 following a 1978 car wreck on Poplar Avenue. “It’s amazing. I never knew him, but I feel him all the time through his music and his fans,” Wells says. “Seeing how many people are devoted to his legacy and music makes me happy. I’m thrilled he can live on in so many ways.”

Along with “I Am the Cosmos,” Bell will also forever be entwined with the brick hallways of Ardent Studios in Memphis. at’s where

the guitarist/vocalist spent countless nights co-engineering his band’s now-classic 1972 debut, Big Star’s #1 Record (Ardent/Stax Records). On that disc, the original Big Star lineup, which comprised Jody Stephens and the late Alex Chilton and Andy Hummel, cra ed pristine power-pop standards like “In the Street,” “Feel,” and “ irteen.”

A er the LP failed commercially, a distraught Bell tumultuously exited the band and even quit music for a year. But from that dark period came inspiration, and a born-again Bell ultimately landed on his feet inside Shoe Productions, where he tracked “Cosmos,” his melancholy magnum opus. It all started at

A post-Big Star era Chris Bell performs an outdoor show in 1975 in London. His brother and then-manager David Bell funded the promotional trip to England.

Huey’s on Madison Avenue, where Bell happened to sit next to sound engineer Warren Wagner, who’d just co-founded Shoe.

“We were sitting at the bar talking, and Chris said he liked what I put together over at Shoe,” Wagner told me while I was researching my book, ere Was a Light: e Cosmic History of Chris Bell and the Rise of Big Star

“Within the next day or two, Chris calls, and we end up in the studio one night with just him and me. … He made some acoustic recordings, and then we got a band over there with him. We ended up doing ‘I Am the Cosmos’ in one night. We probably didn’t do more than two takes.”

For the “Cosmos” session, Bell enlisted drummer Richard Rosebrough and bassist/ keyboardist Ken Woodley of the band Alamo. ough both have since passed away, they were interviewed for ere Was a Light and shared vivid memories of recording “I Am the Cosmos.”

“Chris was fun to work with at Shoe,” the late Rosebrough recalled in 2013, two years before his death. “He always had a smile on his face, a kind of evil grin. e ‘cat that just ate the canary’ expression, but he wouldn’t talk a lot. He was this shining star over in the corner of the room. He was excited to be in a di erent studio with di erent people, playing his own songs.”

Woodley, who died last year at 74, also recalled an eccentric, witty Bell. “He was quiet and could sometimes look a bit stern. He could also be a perfectionist,” Woodley said in 2017. “He’d say, ‘I know you can do better than that.’ I’d be like, ‘Chris, I just learned it!’ But we always got along great. I wasn’t a part of the Big Star clique, the people he’d grown up with, so we were friends on a di erent level.”

ough o en described as introverted in daily life, he was anything but quiet in the studio, especially while tracking “I Am the Cosmos.” “Chris would turn it up just as loud as he could,” Rosebrough recalled. “He’d get this piercingly bright, brilliant sound. It’s all distorting and melting down, but it’s just a dynamite sound.” e song still powerfully resonates for many, including Jody Stephens, who will play drums on “I Got Kinda Lost” and “Get Away” at the River Series concert. “It just comes in so heavy. Not as people de ne ‘heavy’ these days, but emotionally heavy — and instrumentally, too.”

PHOTO: DAVID BELL

Chris Bell’s “I Am the Cosmos” 50th Anniversary Tribute Concert

All-star band with cameos by Jody Stephens, Greg Cartwright, Van Duren, and others, kicking o the school’s River Series. Turnstyles open. $30, $12/children. Saturday, June 8, 5 p.m.

MARIA MONTESSORI SCHOOL

AMPHITHEATER

DJ Hush

Friday, June 7, 9 p.m.

EIGHT & SAND

Gerald Richardson, Stefanie Bolton, & Teven Lavell

We Are One kicks o their third Year of Vision. Saturday, June 8, 7 p.m.

THE HALLORAN CENTRE

Live at the Tracks: Wyly Bigger

ursday, June 6, 6:30 p.m.

EIGHT & SAND

Rooftop Party with DJ

Jordan Rogers

ursday, June 6, 6 p.m.

THE PEABODY HOTEL

Sunday Blues Lunch

Indulge in a meal while cruising down the Mississippi River. Enjoy the tunes of the Blues Band while you take in the Memphis skyline view.

$50. Sunday, June 9, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS

Tank e R&B Money Tour, also with Keri Hilson and Carl omas. $50-$150. Sunday, June 9, 7:30 p.m.

ORPHEUM THEATRE

The Jack Moves (DJ Set) is Newark, NJ- and NYCbased duo have a mutual a nity for hip-hop and funk and soul of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Saturday, June 8, 9 p.m.

EIGHT & SAND

Laser Live: Chinese Connection Dub Embassy

Featuring live bands in the AutoZone Sharpe Planetarium, accompanied by a laser light show. Saturday, June 8, 6 p.m.

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Laser Taylor Swift 2: Bigger and Better!

A Taylor Swi playlist set to laser lights. Friday, June 7, 7 p.m.

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Live at the Garden: Dierks Bentley ursday, June 6, 7 p.m.

RADIANS AMPHITHEATER AT MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule June 6 - 12

Van Duren

e singer/songwriter, a pioneer of indie pop in Memphis, performs solo. ursday, June 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

MORTIMER’S

Carlos Ecos Band

Specializing in early blues, Latin, and rock. Friday, June 7, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Datura With Dylan Kishner, Steel Waves [Small RoomDownstairs]. Wednesday, June 12, 8 p.m. HI TONE

Devil Train

Bluegrass, roots, country, delta, and ski e. ursday, June 6, 10 p.m.

B-SIDE

Drivin N Cryin

Best known for radio hits “Fly Me Courageous,” “To Build a Fire,” “ e Innocent,” and stand out anthem “Straight to Hell.” $30/general admission. Wednesday, June 12, 7 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Electric Blue Yonder Friday, June 7, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

Elevation Memphis: A Tina Turner Tribute Saturday, June 8, 5 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Haley Reinhart

Double platinum-certi ed Chicago-born/LA-based singer-songwriter with a timeless voice. $25/general admission. ursday, June 6, 7 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Indigo Avenue Friday, June 7, 10 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Jack Oblivian Band Saturday, June 8, 10 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Kash Cow Birthday Bash

Also featuring burlesque dancers and celebrity guests. Black and white attire. $20$40. Wednesday, June 12, 7:30 p.m.

GROWLERS

Kings & Associates

The Australian “neo soul” group has won three Australian Blues Music Awards. Friday, June 7, 7:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

Lucky 7 Brass Band Friday, June 7, 8:30 p.m. BAR DKDC

Marcella Simien & Her

Lovers Friday, June 7, 10:30 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Memphis Concrète Presents

With Liars Serum, Neon Glittery, Chris Alford, Towering Flesh [Small RoomDownstairs]. Monday, June 10, 7:30 p.m.

HI TONE

Memphis Knights Big Band

Solid swing music, both vintage and modern. Monday, June 10, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Mighty Souls Brass Band ursday, June 6, 8 p.m.

RAILGARTEN

Oops! All Tennessee Tour

With Screamer, Mythagoe, Alisha Nicole. ursday, June 6, 9 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

Pallbearer

With Rwake, e Keening. ursday, June 6, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

Perpetual Groove

e Georgia band that’s been around since 1997. Saturday, June 8, 7:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

Raneem Imam Saturday, June 8, 8 p.m.

RAILGARTEN

Ravefurrest

With Demi end, Kittenhouse, Crispy, DJ Wholefoods, Qemist. All cosplayers welcome. $15. Friday, June 7, 9 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Rick Camp & the Suburban Trunk Sunday, June 9, 3 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Royal Blues Band Jam Tuesday, June 11, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Seeing Red Saturday, June 8, 9 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Sex Mex

With Little Baby Tendencies, Blu City Vice. Saturday, June 8, 7 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

Sister Hazel e Gainesville, Florida, altrock group went platinum in 1997 and now makes waves on the Billboard Top Country Album Chart. ursday, June 6, 7:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

Wyly Bigger

Featured artist in the Overton Square Music Series. Friday, June 7, 7 p.m.

OVERTON SQUARE

Wyly Bigger & the Coyotes

Sunday, June 9, 7 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

WYXR Stereo Sessions: The Bar-Kays “Do You See What I See?” A listening event focused on the 1972 album and single. Wednesday, June 12, 6 p.m.

MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB

Yotuma

With Viogression, Grave Lurker, Skinwraith [Small Room-Downstairs]. Friday, June 7, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

926 Stax Music Academy Alumni Band

Live music from 926, the Stax Music Academy Alumni Band. Tuesday, June 11, 2-4 p.m.

STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC

Gary Allan

Smoldering vocals, rebellious lyrics, and raucous live performances. Friday, June 7, 8 p.m.

HORSESHOE CASINO TUNICA

Goner Presents: Guitar

Wolf

With Hans Condor. Saturday, June 8, 8 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

PJ and The Bear

With the Eastwoods. Friday, June 7, 8 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

SmithSeven World Pants Tour

With Jadewick, e Acorns, Wicker, Chloie P & e Scouts. Proceeds go to Planned Parenthood. Saturday, June 8, 7 p.m.

GROWLERS

Sugar: The Nu-Metal Party

DJ specializing in ’90s/’00s nu metal. Friday, June 7, 8 p.m.

MINGLEWOOD HALL

The Bugaloos Sunday, June 9, 11 a.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Ulysses Owens & the Ted Ludwig Trio

e Grammy Award-winning drummer appears as part of the Modern Masters Jazz Series. Wednesday, June 12, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Vinyl Happy Hour

With Guest DJs every ursday. ursday, June 6, 3-5 p.m.

MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB

Concerts in The Grove — Tommy Prine

See this encore performance from the singular Nashville singer-songwriter. $7/general admission. ursday, June 6, 6:30-8 p.m.

THE GROVE AT GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Massey Tate

Happy Hour in e Grove. Free. Friday, June 7, 5 p.m.

THE GROVE AT GPAC

Memphis Blues Society Weekly Jam

Hosted by Jackie Flora & Friends. ursday, June 6, 7:30 p.m.

ROCKHOUSE LIVE

Richard Wilson Soulful Blues at Jackie Maes

Live and smooth. Friday, June 7, noon-2 p.m. | Sunday, June 9, noon-2 p.m.

JACKIE MAE’S PLACE

Singer Songwriter

Sundays

Enjoy some of the areas best local musicians every Sunday. Sunday, June 9, 4-6 p.m.

MEDDLESOME BREWING COMPANY

PHOTO: COURTESY MONKEE MUSIC MEDIA Guitar Wolf

Victor Wainwright

Tony Holiday Laura Chavez

Gracie Curran

Mr. Sipp

CALENDAR of EVENTS: June 6 - 12

ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS

“Between Heaven and Earth, We Build Our Home”

“Between Heaven And Earth, We Build Our Home” explores themes of ancestry, immigration, and homemaking in an exhibition featuring AAPI artists from Memphis and the South. rough June 20.

URBAN ART COMMISSION

“Branching Out”

Discover intricate connections between students, teachers, and casting communities, which branch out much like a family tree. rough Sept. 8.

METAL MUSEUM

CBU: 2024 Spring BFA

Exhibition

esis exhibition for graduating seniors in the department of visual arts at Christian Brothers University. rough June 30.

BEVERLY + SAM ROSS GALLERY

Dr. Gopal Murti:

“Finding Beauty in Everything I See” Murti’s art is eclectic in terms of style, subject, medium, and substrate. rough July 1.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

“Everyday People: Snapshots of The Black Experience”

A photography exhibition showcasing Memphis artist Eric Echols’ photo collection of 20th-century African Americans. rough July 14.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

“It’s All Relative” Sicilian/Puerto Rican postsurrealist sculptor Morgan Lugo uses permanent materials, such as bronze, to speak to the lasting e ects of past experiences. rough July 7.

METAL MUSEUM

Jeanne Seagle & Annabelle Meacham:

“Of This Moment” Exhibition of work by Jeanne Seagle and Annabelle Meacham. rough June 9.

MEDICINE FACTORY

“Memphis 2024” Experience visual art in various genres and media from artists across Memphis. rough June 30.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

“Mission: Astronaut”

Get a taste of life as an astronaut, using skills like engineering, physics, teamwork, and fun. Saturday, June 8-Sept. 2.

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

“People Are People” is exhibition honors famed American designer Christian Siriano’s electrifying contributions to fashion. rough Aug. 4.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Sowgand

Sheikholeslami:

“Progression” is show ranges from enigmatic gures set within interior spaces to boldly painted still lifes and abstract landscapes. rough July 7.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

“Sow”: Works by Emily Leonard Emily Leonard is known for sublime representations of landscapes and wildlife. rough June 8.

DAVID LUSK GALLERY

Summer Art Garden:

“Creatures of Paradise” Memphis-based duo Banana Plastik present an environment lled with vibrant and whimsical beings. rough Oct. 26.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

“The Real & Imagined” New work from Erin Harmon and Kong Wee Pang delving into imaginary environments and creations. Through June 22.

SHEET CAKE

“Threading Legacies: A Tribute to Black Women Quilters”

“ reading Legacies” honors Black women quilters, celebrating resilience, artistry, and community through their quilts, weaving personal and communal histories. rough June 28.

COSSITT LIBRARY

“Whimsy & Wonder”: Bartlett Art Association Exhibition

Enjoy the Bartlett Art Association’s use of pixels and pallets to re ect whimsy and wonder. rough June 29.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

ART HAPPENINGS

Art for Miles Artist

Market at Chuck Hutton

Toyota

A celebration of local creativity, while enjoying food and fun for the whole family. Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

CHUCK HUTTON TOYOTA

Artist Talk: Jeanne Seagle

Learn about the artist’s process and inspiration. Saturday, June 8, 1 p.m.

MEDICINE FACTORY

Docent Interest Meeting at the Brooks Museum

Learn how to become a docent at your art museum. Wednesday, June 12, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Figure Drawing Class

Artists of all levels can practice and increase their skills drawing the human form.

$10-$15. Wednesday, June 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.

DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.

Glass Slippers, A Fairy

Tale Art Show

e Mid-South Cartoonists Association presents the “Glass Slippers” art show, running with eatre Memphis’ Cinderella. Friday, June 7, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

THEATRE MEMPHIS

June Family Day: Black Music Month

e Stax Museum’s Family Day with the band Soul CNXN, food trucks, arts and cra s, and games. Saturday, June 8, 1-5 p.m.

STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL

MUSIC

Munch and Learn

Presentations by local artists, scholars, and Dixon sta sharing their knowledge on a variety of topics. Wednesday, June 12, noon-1 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Second Saturdays at Chickasaw Oaks

Every second Saturday of the month Chickasaw Oaks presents an exciting art market showcasing a diverse group of talented local artists and makers. is family-friendly event o ers a unique opportunity to explore and support the vibrant creative community in your area. Saturday June 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

CHICKASAW OAKS

Shoot & Splice: Filmmaker Speed Meetings

A networking event for beginning lmmakers, sponsored by Indie Memphis. Tuesday, June 11, 7 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

BOOK EVENTS

Book Festival and Book Sale

Also includes author talks, children’s arts and cra s, live music, story time, poetry readings, and more. Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

COSSITT LIBRARY

Greg Iles: Southern Man Greg Iles celebrates his new novel. is is a speaking event only. Signed rst editions will be available for purchase. ursday, June 6, 6 p.m. NOVEL

Lisa Wingate: Shelterwood e #1 New York Times

bestselling author of Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate celebrates the release of her new book Shelterwood. Line tickets are required to meet the author and are free with the purchase of Shelterwood from Novel. Friday, June 7, 6 p.m.

NOVEL

Quinn Connor: The Pecan Children

Quinn Connor celebrates their new book, a magical realist tale of two sisters in small Southern town. Tuesday, June 11, 6 p.m. NOVEL

William Butler Memphis poet reads from and signs his new collection. ursday, June 6, 5:30 p.m.

BURKE’S BOOK STORE

CLASS / WORKSHOP

Lunchtime Meditations Looking for something relaxing to do to clear your mind and improve your overall health? Head to the Dixon for our free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, June 7, noon-12:45 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Monologue Creation Workshop

Unlock the secrets to writing dynamic, engaging speeches. Tuesday, June 11, 5-7 p.m.

COSSITT LIBRARY

COMEDY

Comedy Open Mic

Hosted by John Miller. $10. Tuesday, June 11, 8 p.m. HI TONE

Swing for Spring New beginner swing dance series. Try just one type or learn all four. $80/general admission. Tuesday, June 11, 6-7 p.m.

CAT’S BALLROOM

EXPO/SALES

Memphis Intergalactic Bead Show

Featuring nine exhibitors in the world of beads. Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, June 9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL Mid-South Hydrangea Society Plant Sale

Purchase and learn more about hydrangeas. Saturday, June 8, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

FAMILY

Matt Rife: ProbleMATTIC World Tour

One of the hottest up-and-coming standups in comedy. $88. Wednesday, June 12, 7 p.m.

ORPHEUM THEATRE

Saturday Night Showcase is underground comedy show, hosted by Tylon Monger, boasts a diverse and interesting lineup each week that cracks smiles, shakes heads, and causes uproarious laughter. $15. Saturday, June 8, 7 p.m.

MEMPHIS CLOVER CLUB

Shuckey Duckey e comedian widely known for coining the catchphrase “Shucky Duckey Quack Quack.” $25-$75. ursday, June 6, 8 p.m. | Friday, June 7, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, June 7, 10 p.m. | Saturday, June 8, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, June 8, 10 p.m. | Sunday, June 9, 8 p.m.

CHUCKLES COMEDY HOUSE

COMMUNITY

Japanese Culture Club

Dedicated to the appreciation of Japanese culture. Saturday, June 8, 10:30 a.m.-noon.

BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY

DANCE

Line Dancing with Q

Line dancing lessons, Tuesdays with “Q.” 21+. Tuesday, June 11, 6-9 p.m.

DRU’S PLACE

Sunday Argentine Tango Mini-Lesson & Practica Mariallan and James will be conducting a short tango class directed at beginning dancers (5:30-6:15 p.m.), followed by a guided practica (6:15-7:30 p.m.). $15/lesson and practica, $10/practica. Sunday, June 9, 5:30 p.m.

THEATREWORKS

Drop-In Family Day: Indigenous Peoples of Tennessee e land surrounding Collierville once hosted the Mississippian culture. Weave a basket and sculpt an air-dry clay pot. Wednesday, June 12, 10:30 a.m.

MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY

Kaleidoscope Club (ages 5-9)

Enjoy an art or horticulture project that sparks creativity and critical thinking. Wednesday, June 12, 4 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Kids in the Garden (ages 7-10) is fun, hands-on gardening workshop teaches kids the basics about horticulture and the ora around them. $10. Saturday, June 8, 10:30 a.m.-noon

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Mini Masters (ages 2-4)

Introduce your little ones to the arts and nature with cra s, movement, and more. $8. Tuesday, June 11, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

SciPlay with CAESER & Connect Crew

Unleash your inner scientist while exploring the best playground in the Southeast at SciPlay. Saturday, June 8, 10-11:30 a.m.

TOM LEE PARK

Story Time

Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, June 7, 10:30 a.m.

MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY

continued on page 20

PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN Sail Boats by Dr. Gopal Murti

Story Time at Novel

Recommended for children up to 5 years, Story Time at Novel includes songs and stories, featuring brand-new books in addition to well-loved favorites. Saturday, June 8, 10:30

a.m. | Wednesday, June 12, 10:30 a.m.

NOVEL

FESTIVAL

Rhythm of Life Cancer Survivor Celebration and Awareness Day Honor cancer survivors with cancer screening information, live music, food, and games. Thursday, June 6, 5:30 p.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

The International Festival With cultural entertainment, children’s and wellness activities, international food, and ethnic vendors. Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m.

LANDERS CENTER

FILM

Black Tight Killers

Stewardess Yoriko is kidnapped by a team of deadly female assassins who use vinyl records as weapons. Now, it’s up to photographer Hondo to uncover the conspiracy while dealing with go-go dancing ninjas and bullets made of chewing gum. $5. Thursday, June 6, 7 p.m.

CROSSTOWN THEATER

JOIN TEAM

Cemetery Cinema presents Ghost Guests should bring lawn chairs. Picnic baskets are welcome. Food trucks will be on site. $15. Friday, June 7, 8:30-10:30 p.m.

ELMWOOD CEMETERY

Overton Square Movie Series: Moana Blankets and folding chairs welcome; no outside alcoholic beverages. Free. Thursday, June 6, 6 p.m.

OVERTON SQUARE

Space: The New Frontier 2D From self-assembling habitats, commercial space stations, and rockets without fuel to the Lunar Gateway to deep space. Through May 23, 2025.

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Spring Outdoor Movie Series by DNA Grind City will host the Downtown Neighborhood Association’s “Act 2” of their all-ages free movie night series, screening Black Panther

The taproom will be open during the event for beverages and bathrooms. Bring a picnic blanket or chairs. Water and outside food permitted. Thursday, June 6, 8 p.m.

GRIND CITY BREWING COMPANY

FOOD AND DRINK

Canoes + Cocktails

A guided sunset paddle on the lake followed by specialty cocktails provided by Old Dominick, snacks from Cheffie’s, yard games, and music. Friday, June 7, 7 p.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market

A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers (no resellers), artisans, and live music. Saturday, June 8, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Dinner & Music Cruise

Come enjoy a two-hour cruise on Ol’ Man River featuring live entertainment, and a meal. $50/general admission. Thursday, June 6, 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Friday, June 7, 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Saturday, June 8, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS

Food Truck Fridays

Grab a bite from a local food truck and enjoy lunch in the beautiful Dixon gardens. Friday, June 7, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Literatini

Literacy Mid-South presents this fundraising event with tantalizing tastes from local chefs, soulful sounds, martini tasting, silent auction, dancing, and great books. $75/general admission , $100/VIP . Saturday, June 8, 7-11 p.m. NOVEL

Memphis Farmers Market

A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers and artisans, live music, and fun activities. Saturday, June 8, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET

Project Green Fork Presents: Loving Local 2024

Savor the flavors of Memphis with small bites from PGF-certified chefs and partners. Sunday, June 9, 2-5 p.m.

GRIND CITY BREWING CO.

Yokai Sushi Pop-Up

Darren Phillips presents the latest flavors from Sushi Gang. Free. Saturday, June 8, 6 p.m. HI TONE

HEALTH AND FITNESS

FIT4Mom

Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre workouts

Thursday, June 6, 9:30 a.m. | Saturday, June 8, 9:30 a.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Hustle & Flow Step

Get movin’ and groovin’ at free Hip Hop Step Aerobics led by instructor Ayanna on Wednesdays. Participants are welcome to bring their own stepper, borrow one, or get steppin’ without one. Free. Wednesday, June 12, 6-7 p.m.

TOM LEE PARK

Free Sana Yoga at Comeback Coffee

This all-levels Flow class will surely leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Free. Tuesday, June 11, 11-11:45 a.m. COMEBACK COFFEE

Slow Your Roll | Saturday Morning Meditation

A serene start to your Saturday with some morning mindfulness, led by the experienced mindfulness educator Greg Graber. Free. Saturday, June 8, 8-8:30 a.m. CHICKASAW GARDENS PARK

Tai Chi

Instructor Marjean teaches gentle moves that will strengthen and calm body, mind, and soul. Thursday, June 6, 7 a.m.

OVERTON PARK

Taijiquan with Milan Vigil

Led by Milan Vigil, this Chinese martial art promotes relaxation, improves balance, and provides no-impact aerobic benefits. Ages 16 and older. Free. Saturday, June 8, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Yoga

Strengthen your yoga practice and enjoy the health benefits of light exercise with yoga instructors Laura Gray McCann. Free. Thursday, June 6, 6-6:45 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Yoga in the Park Stretch, strengthen, and unwind after your work day with a free yoga class. Free. Wednesday, June 12, 5:30-6:15 p.m.

HEALTH SCIENCES PARK

Yoga on the River

Join us for Yoga on the River as Candace guides your yoga journey along the mighty Mississippi. Free. Tuesday, June 11, 6-7 p.m.

RIVER GARDEN

LECTURE

Ryan McEnaney: Growing Innovation: The Pathway to New Hydrangea Introductions

McEnaney leads marketing at Bailey Nurseries and created the Endless Summer hydrangea series. Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

PERFORMING ARTS

Memphis Matters

Playback Memphis presents a special Juneteenth Memphis Matters performance, a celebration and commemoration of the liberation of enslaved Black people in America, and a celebration of the African Diaspora. This very special show will consist of an all-Black performance ensemble, as well as a Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)-only audience. Saturday, June 8, 7 p.m.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Monday Night Poetry Set by Perform901

An immersive celebration of the written word, where the beauty of language comes alive. Monday, June 10, 7:30 p.m.

HI TONE

The 2024 Liars’ Ball

A two-night improv comedy and live music extravaganza. $12/advance, $15/door. Friday, June 7, 8-10 p.m. | Saturday, June 8, 8-10 p.m. THEATREWORKS

SPECIAL EVENTS

Pup Party- First Fridays on Broad Bring your pup to Broad Avenue for treats, games, and lots of fun “pup-tivities.” Friday, June 7, 5-8 p.m.

BROAD AVENUE ARTS DISTRICT

SPORTS

Discover the Greenway 5K+

A 3.5-mile run/walk starting at the Shady Grove Trailhead. Saturday, June 8, 8 a.m.

WOLF RIVER CONSERVANCY

Health the Hood Foundation

Celebrity Basketball Game

For the first time in Memphis history, two sitting Memphis mayors will suit up and compete in a charity basketball game. $15/ general admission, $20/at the door. Saturday, June 8, 3 p.m.

RIDGEWAY HIGH SCHOOL

CALENDAR:

Open Water Swim Clinics

Get tips, advice, and training from professional swim and triathlon coaches. Sunday, June 9, 6:30 a.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Race: Buffvelo Crit Series

Cyclists compete for the The Buffvelo Hammer trophy. Wednesday, June 12, 5 p.m.

SHELBY FARMS

Race: Trails for Tots 5K Course route includes Cross Country trails. Sunday, June 9, 8 a.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Race: Walk to Reduce Recidivism Course route includes Jones Pond Pavilion and Hyde Lake Trail. Saturday, June 8, 9 a.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Ranch Horse Congress

Celebrate the heritage of the ranch horse through competition. Through June 12.

AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL

THEATER

Cinderella

The classic saga of rags to romance is wonderfully captured with all the wonderment that comes with a fairy tale. Friday, June 7-June 30.

THEATRE MEMPHIS

Legally Blonde the Musical at GCT America’s favorite blond, Elle Woods, is ready to prove who’s in charge in the ultimate Broadway tribute to girl power. $26/adult, $21/ senior 60+, $16/student/teacher, $16/military, $16/wheelchair space, $10/sensory friendly performance. Thursday, June 6, 7:30-10 p.m. | Friday, June 7, 7:30-10 p.m. | Saturday, June 8, 7:30-10 p.m. | Sunday, June 9, 2:30-5 p.m.

GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY THEATRE

TOURS

Guided Nature Walk

Join a Lichterman nature center naturalist on a themed guided walk around the property. Saturday, June 8, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

LICHTERMAN NATURE CENTER

Haunted Pub Crawl

Visit three local bars for ghost stories, dark history, and tales of the paranormal. Friday, June 7, 7:30-10 p.m.

THE BROOM CLOSET

The Original Memphis Brew Bus

The Memphis Brew Bus is a Saturday afternoon trip into the amazing Memphis craft brewing scene. Visit three local breweries for tours, talks with the brewers, and of course beer. $59. Saturday, June 8, 2-5:30 p.m.

THE BROOM CLOSET

The Scandals & Scoundrels Tour of Elmwood Cemetery

Some of the stories found in Elmwood come with questionable or even bizarre endings, and that’s where this tour of the infamous residents begins. This is a 90-minute outdoor walking tour. $20/general admission. Sunday, June 9, 2-3:30 p.m.

ELMWOOD CEMETERY

ACROSS

1 Web and TV broadcast about celebrities

8 String of churches?

14 Many an American Legion member of the ’50s-’60s

15 “I wouldn’t do that”

16 Hometown of Kamala Harris

17 Mob rule?

18 “Yes, that’s it!”

19 Best-selling compact S.U.V. introduced in 2007

21 N.B.A. Western Conference team, familiarly

23 Blocked from view

24 Captures

25 Rushes

27 DSL device

29 Evidence of eligibility for senior discounts

31 Milk-derived

36 Dweller in the Eastern Himalayas

37 Sticking out

38 Fruit with a yellow rind

39 Evergreens whose leaves are used culinarily

40 Tightly packed, disorderly crowd

42 What ancient Egyptians treated with honey

43 Important word in both physics and religion

47 Conjunction in a rebus puzzle

48 New contacts, informally

50 Hit 2010s sci-fi series in which a single actress plays multiple clones

55 Shout of support

56 ___ rights

57 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band named after its leader

59 Prey for a jackal

60 Exceptional athlete

61 Hebrew leaders

62 Celebrity embarrassment, maybe DOWN

1 Wee hour

2 Villain’s cackle

3 Mosquito-borne danger in 2016 news

4 Wee wee?

5 Man’s name that spells a fictional people backward

6 Start of an old boast

7 Strong winds may push them back, in brief

8 Disappointing news at an outdoor sports event

9 Stink 10 Not publicize for now

11 Words to live by 12 Did a film editing job on

13 Sally of the Obama administration

15 Rope, essentially

20 Did a farrier’s job on 22 Anatomical dividers

Words yawned in the afternoon

Price abbr.

Uncle’s

PHOTO: COURTESY CROSSTOWN ARTS Black Tight Killers

We Saw You.

with MICHAEL DONAHUE

About 8,000 celebrated the last Sunday evening of May listening to Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, and Sousa. ey sat on blankets or chairs with their shoes o or on, and a full-scale picnic or just a at box with a pizza in front of them. is was Sunset Symphony, which was held May 26th at Overton Park Shell. e Memphis Symphony Orchestra performed under the direction of Robert Moody and Kyle Dickson. Kortland Whalum and Marie-Stéphane Bernard sang.

“It’s just a beautiful display of Memphis,” says the Shell’s executive director Natalie Wilson. People were “spilling out” onto other nearby areas, including the Greensward at Overton Park and the grounds of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, to hear the symphony because the event was so crowded.

“ is is what Memphis is about. We come together. We’re joyous. Children run and play. We enjoy the arts. We’re so blessed with these spaces that bring us together.” is was the fourth year that Sunset Symphony, which many people associate with its Memphis in May predecessor at Tom Lee Park, took place at the Shell. “A joyous recreation of a historic event at a historic place.”

PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE

above: (le to right) eo omas; Kortland Whalum with Robert Moody behind him conducting the Memphis Symphony Orchestra below: (le to right) Carl and Amasa Ealing; Alexis Burnett and Abrian Clay; Daniel Amram and Danielle Schae er bottom row: (le to right) Josh Russell, Maddox Russell, Nathalie Russell, Mason Russell, and Jessica Rivera

ARTS By Abigail Morici

On Dacus Lake

Jeanne Seagle’s creates a niche for herself in the wilderness just across the river.

If you’re even the most casual reader of the Memphis Flyer, you’ve seen Jeanne Seagle’s work. Just turn to the weekly “News of the Weird” column every now and then, and you’ll see one of her quirky illustrations. But this week, if you head to the Medicine Factory, you’ll nd the work she’s proudest of — her drawings and her watercolors of Dacus Lake, across the Mississippi River in Arkansas.

Seagle has been fascinated by this area for years now. A er all, it’s where she started to get to know her husband Fletcher Golden, who lived at a shing camp in the area at the time. “We would just wander all over that land while we were dating,” she says. “It was so much fun.”

“Now I’m doing what I want to do.”

O en, she returns there — to hike, to paint with watercolors, and to let her surroundings wash over her as she takes photographs to reference later in her drawings. She thrives in nature, she knows.

“I just love going over there. I love these scenes. I love these landscapes. at’s my spot,” Seagle said in an interview with Memphis Magazine last year.

Today when we speak about the Medicine Factory show, “Of is Moment,” which features new works, she notes how she hasn’t tired of the subject, especially with its ever-changing qualities. “In this show, I have a picture called Fallen Tree, and I have drawn that tree several times in other pictures when it was still standing,” she says. “ at’s the thing about drawing landscapes, you can just focus on one spot and nature takes over and changes things constantly. … I nd it endlessly fascinating.”

For three or four hours a day, she draws scenes of nature from photographs she’s taken at Dacus Lake, just a drive across the river from her Midtown studio. Sometimes, she’ll play blues CDs to ll the space with the rhythms of the Delta as she stills her focus on rendering the smallest of details — grooves in tree bark and

wisps of grass — with careful marks in charcoal and pencil.

ese black-and-white drawings take weeks to complete, sometimes up to two months. She’ll fold over the Xerox copies of photos she’s taken in some places, making entirely new compositions, adjusting the wilderness to her aesthetic liking. From these gritty images printed on copy paper, Seagle gleans details that an untrained eye

would not recognize. She knows this art, inside and out, just like she knows these woods, harvesting their most innate qualities from her memories. Unlike her illustrations that favor stylization, Seagle renders these im-

ages realistically, leaving no detail spared. e scenes are still, out of time. A sense of wonder remains in her drawings, inviting the viewer to slip into nature’s serenity, only a few miles from the grit and grind of Memphis.

A er decades of working as an artist, Seagle has slipped into a serenity of her own, as if all her prior artistic endeavors have led to this moment. She’s experimented with styles and challenged herself many times over, she says, and now she’s found a subject that is uniquely hers — one that she’s emotionally attached to, that she’s excited to render in a style and medium that feels right, not like one she’s trying on.

“I have always liked to draw more than paint, and I just feel so much more comfortable doing that,” she says. “When I was a little girl, I was not exposed to paint media. When I was a little kid, I just colored with crayons, and I kind of just kept on doing that.”

Even as she continues in this phase of her life and art with these landscapes, Seagle can’t help but think of her childhood. “Just thinking how ironic it is that my parents were all about trees, too. My father worked with trees at his job as a forest ranger and my mother loved to take photographs of trees. It’s just kind of natural that I’ve just kind of slipped unintentionally into this little niche here.”

But it’s a niche Seagle plans to stay in, perhaps one that’s been in her genes all along. “I have spent most of my career doing color pictures for illustrations magazine and book illustrations,” she adds. “And now I’m doing what I want to do.”

“Of is Moment” is on display at the Medicine Factory. It features drawings and watercolors by Jeanne Seagle and paintings by Annabelle Meacham, plus works by Matthew Hasty, Jimpsie Ayres, Alisa Free, Claudia Tullos-Leonard, Anton Weiss, and others. Hours are ursday, June 6th, noon to 6 p.m.; Friday, June 7th, noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday, June 8th, noon to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, June 9th, by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, email art@sylvan nearts.com. Seagle will give an artist talk on Saturday, June 8th, at 1 p.m.

PHOTO: (TOP) ABIGAIL MORICI | (BOTTOM) COURTESY JEANNE SEAGLE

Jeanne Seagle

FOOD By Michael Donahue

Burgers, Wings, Pizza on Tap

Beer isn’t the only fare on the menu at Crosstown Brewing Company.

You can now get a bite of food as well as beer any day at Crosstown Brewing Company.

e brewery at 1264 Concourse Avenue at Crosstown Concourse recently added a menu that includes smash burgers, Memphisstyle honey gold wings, and other fare from their new kitchen, says Clark Ortkiese, who founded the brewery with co-owner Will Goodwin in 2018.

ey originally had snacks, like chips and dip and popcorn, plus food trucks on the grounds when they were available. But “nothing that was made here on-site,” Ortkiese says.

When thinking about a menu, he and Goodwin “wanted food that was accessible” and items that were “not overly complicated to make.”

ey also wanted to put as much e ort into the food as they do into their cra beer. “Quality is a major driver for us,” Ortkiese says.

He and Goodwin began talking about serving their own food about two years ago. ey visited a lot of taprooms to see what kind of food was served. ey noticed locally there weren’t many operating with a restaurant, Ortkiese says.

ey decided to nally start serving their own food because “fewer and fewer” food trucks were available. ey also wanted their customers to stay longer. Most people were visiting the brewery between 2 and 5 p.m. each day. “ ey come a er lunch and leave. We really wanted to change that.”

“There’s an energy to the space that was not here before.”

Food from their own kitchen served until an hour before they close gives people a reason to stay longer. It also makes their events, including their live music shows, more entertaining. “You know you can get a bite to eat.”

In addition to smash burgers, wings, and pizza, the brewery also serves a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. But instead of “hitting it with Cheez Whiz” a er it’s prepared, they use cheese made with their Siren Blonde Ale. e ale is “really clean, simple, refreshing,

lightly hopped,” Ortkiese says. “It’s an easy drinker.”

Siren Blonde Ale, “a blend of a couple of di erent spices and the beer,” works well with the cheese. “ e beer itself has little oral characteristics. And I think that combines with the cheese avors really well. e subtlety of the beer avor brings it a richness that ties all the avors together.’

ey also use their Siren Blonde Ale in their popular macaroni-and-cheese, which is topped with candied bacon.

For now, Siren Blonde Ale is the only one of their products they use in their cuisine, Ortkiese says. ey plan to work others into recipes as new beers come in and they “ nd out what works and what doesn’t.”

Also on the menu are pizzas, like “ e Fun Guy” mushroom pizza and the “Memphis Style” barbecue chicken pizza, and their giant pretzels that hang vertically from a hook on a plate are a popular as well as unusual item. e hook “makes the presentation so nice. It’s boring if you lay it at.”

Ortkiese says. “We used to be hyper-competitive. I would win a gold and he would win a gold.” ey then began sharing equipment and information. “Which,” Ortkiese adds, “led to a shared mindset.”

Ortkiese, who also has a bartending background, worked in restaurants from the time he was 18 until he was 28. He graduated with a psychology degree from the University of Mississippi at Oxford. He and Goodwin went into other businesses before they opened the brewery. “Will has a manufacturing background and [I have] a sales and marketing background. We still divide our responsibilities that way.”

Including Siren Blonde Ale, they carry ve beers year round: Lucky Chompers Helles Lager, Animal Frequency Hazy IPA, Vision Board Mixed Berry Sour, and Tra c, which is an IPA. Forager Honey Rye Ale is their current seasonal. ey rotate their core beers in Kroger and Walmart stores.

development, runs prep, helps Ortkiese manage the business, and helps cook “through the rush.”

Since expanding their menu to include more than snacks, Mark Goldsmith, who was one of their taproom managers, has become kitchen manager. Goldsmith, whose restaurant experience includes managing Central BBQ’s food truck, works in recipe

Native Memphians, Ortkiese and Goodwin have known each other since elementary school. Both Christian Brothers High School graduates, they each began home brewing their own beer, which they would enter in contests. “We were obsessed with beer,”

Ortkiese describes their beer as “dry, drinkable, clean. We don’t really like to wallop people over the head even with our biggest double IPAs and stouts.”

Future plans for Crosstown Brewing Company include “more beverage options,” Ortkiese says.

He’d also like to hold a special event in the Concourse central atrium. “We would simulate an outdoor barbecue party indoors with a beer garden and outdoor games.”

Ortkiese has seen a change at Crosstown Brewing Company since they added a kitchen. “I’ve been in this room almost every day of my life for the last six and a half years, and, to see the di erence, there’s an energy to the space that was not here before.”

He’s noticed “a rumble through the crowd when they’re eating and drinking.”

“ ere’s a hum around here now that wasn’t here before,” Ortkiese adds. “And it’s great.”

PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE / CLARK ORTKIESE Clark Ortkiese, Mark Goldsmith, and Will Goodwin

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication

Creme de la Weird

The latest plane failure story — about the emergency slide that fell off a Boeing 767 leaving JFK Airport — gets a “whodathunkit” follow-up, the New York Post reported. On April 28, the slide washed up right in front of the beachside home in Belle Harbor, Queens, of Jake BissellLinsk, who happens to be the attorney who filed a federal lawsuit against Boeing after the Alaska Airlines door blowout in January. Belle Harbor is about six miles southeast of JFK. “I didn’t want to touch it, but I got close enough to get a close look at it,” Bissell-Linsk said. He said a Delta Airlines crew arrived a few hours later and threw the slide into the back of a truck. “We haven’t decided if the slide is relevant to our case,” he noted. [NY Post, 4/29/2024]

Animal Antics

The large animals are restless lately. On April 28, four zebras made a break for it from a trailer at a highway exit in Washington State, The New York Times reported. Kristine Keltgen was hauling them to her petting zoo in Anaconda, Montana, when the latch on the trailer became loose and the zebras “bolted out.” Police officers and volunteers headed up the effort to corral them, but David Danton of Mount Vernon, Washington, was a ringer: Danton is a former rodeo clown and bullfighter. He and his wife happened to be driving by and stopped to help. “It was kind of divine intervention,” Danton’s wife said. Danton built a makeshift chute leading to a horse pen on a nearby farm. “It’s just about being quiet, working them gentle, and not getting excited,” he said. As of May 2, one of the zebras was still on the lam, but Keltgen was sure it would be found. [NY Times, 4/29/2024]

The Golden Age of Air Travel Passengers aboard an American Airlines flight from Washington, D.C., to

Phoenix on April 25 were delayed by about 90 minutes after their flight had to make an unplanned stop in Oklahoma City, Simple Flying reported. While AA’s official statement called the problem a “mechanical issue,” social media reports indicated that the toilets became clogged, and the plane had to land for maintenance. One traveler posted: “I was on this flight. Apparently, the lavatory tanks were NOT emptied from the previous LAX to DCA flight the night before.” [Simple Flying, 4/27/2024]

Tourists Behaving Badly

Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, “is a town built on tourism,” said Michie Motomochi, the owner of a cafe in the city. So it says a lot that the town began constructing a large black screen on a stretch of sidewalk that is a favorite spot for viewing and photographing Mount Fuji in the distance. The Associated Press reported that construction began on April 30; the screen will be 8 feet high and 65 feet long. “I welcome many visitors,” Motomochi said, “… but there are many things about their manners that are worrying,” such as littering, crossing the road in traffic, ignoring traffic lights, and trespassing. The town has reportedly tried other tactics — signs in multiple languages and security guards — to no avail. [AP, 4/30/2024]

Questionable Judgment

After Jacob Wright, 24, and Cambree Wright, 19, exchanged wedding vows

on Feb. 10, it was time for pictures, Fox News reported. So Jacob grabbed his Apple Vision Pro headset and wore it while the photos were snapped. Jacob said he saw an opportunity to have fun and create a viral moment. “I was like, ‘Oh, it’d be like such a meme. It’d be so funny if we just took some pictures with it on after the wedding.’” Sure enough, when they posted the pics, Cambree said she started getting “crazy” messages: “I woke up to 200-plus messages and just random girls telling me to divorce my husband.” But the bride said the photos “perfectly encompass Jacob and his personality … and what our relationship is like.” [Fox News, 3/13/2024]

Suspicions Confirmed Ashley Class of Charlotte, North Carolina, was stumped by her toddler’s reports of monsters in the wall of her bedroom, NPR reported. For months, Saylor told her mom she could hear something, but Class chalked it up to the stress of a new baby in the house. She and her husband deployed “monster spray” (water) and pretended to look for the monsters. But finally, Class called a pest control specialist, who went into Saylor’s room with a thermal camera. “It lit up like Christmas,” Class said. “It was floor to ceiling.” Behind Saylor’s wall was a 100-pound honeycomb and about 50,000 bees, which the beekeeper removed. But not before the bees had done tens of thousands of dollars in damage. “It’s been a nightmare,” Class said. [NPR, 4/30/2024]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

CARRY NARCAN

Qualifying Agencies are:

•Health Organizations

•Treatment Centers

•Churches

•Schools

•Local Businesses

•Non Profits

•Restaurants/Bars/Clubs

•Hotels etc...

And every day, I push off one thing my own health

Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of new moms, with risks can last for months post-partum So, I’m taking action and starting the conversation, with not just my doctor, but with other moms I know, too

Happy Pride month! June is going to be a rainbow party here in the Mid-South, where the LGBTQ community is making their voices heard. In the large overlap of the metaphysical and LGBTQ communities, there are many conversations about the words and terms used to describe energy. is conversation includes tarot, as tarot is a story of the ow of energy in our lives and the cause and e ects of that energy and the choices we make.

e artwork of tarot has been evolving recently, with more decks being inclusive of BIPOC people as well as having more LGBTQ images. In a spiritual community, where love should be the law, having representations of queer and BIPOC people is necessary because they are a large part of the community and they need to know that they are welcome and important here, too.

Tarot is historically white. e mass-produced Rider-WaiteSmith deck was illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, a Black woman who ran with the likes of Bram Stoker and William Butler Yeats. It was through Yeats that Smith was introduced to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Arthur Edward Waite, who commissioned her to illustrate his tarot deck. Yet none of the people in the deck looked like Colman Smith. Even with the enormous popularity of what she created, Colman Smith su ered, like so many women, from the exclusionary attitudes towards female talent: She received a small, at sum for her tarot deck and no royalties. Only recently has her name been added to the title of the Rider-WaiteSmith deck.

my spiritual world, too. As someone who reads professionally for others, I want the people I read for to see themselves included in my tarot cards. We have all had moments where we relate to someone on TV, in a movie, a story, or in art that does not look like us or live the same lifestyle we live. But being able to see a person who has a similar skin tone or haircut or presentation that resembles yours is empowering, welcoming, and a rming.

e current push for more inclusive decks has created a whole new genre of tarot. Although tarot is still historically both white and very straight in its imagery, all the new queer and inclusive decks have added a richness and depth to our tarot choices. As a professional tarot reader, I have many tarot and oracle decks — too many if you ask some. And most of them feature nothing but straight, white people. However, over the last few years I have added some new, amazing decks to my collection that include both people of color and queer people in the artwork. I have made the conscious e ort to do so. I like to see people of di erent ethnicities and cultures in my decks. e world is full of people with di erent skin tones and cultures, and I want that re ected in

If you are searching for a tarot deck that includes BIPOC and queer representation, I have a few suggestions to get you started. e Light Seer’s Tarot is my current favorite deck and the one I read for clients with. It includes people of various skin tones in di erent settings. e Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot includes a variety of skin tones and many LGBTQ people in various relationships. Without being a strictly “queer” deck, it is one of the more inclusive decks I have seen. e Modern Witch and Modern Goddess tarot decks feature women of all representations. e Queer Tarot and Pride Tarot both focus on queer representation with many BIPOC people included. Two of my favorite new decks just published are the Fi h Spirit Tarot Deck and is Might Hurt Tarot; both decks are queer and inclusive, for a world beyond binaries.

If you are new to tarot, or a professional like me, I encourage you to check out some of these decks and add them to your collection. ey will add a depth to your readings, and may help your clients hear your message and take it to heart easier. Emily Guenther is a co-owner of e Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): What potentials should you strive to ripen as the expansive planet Jupiter glides through your astrological House of Connection, Communication, and Education in the coming months? I’ll offer my intuitions. On the downside, there may be risks of talking carelessly, forging superficial links, and learning inessential lessons. On the plus side, you will generate good luck and abundant vitality if you use language artfully, seek out the finest teachings, and connect with quality people and institutions. In the most favorable prognosis I can imagine, you will become smarter and wiser. Your knack for avoiding boredom and finding fascination will be at a peak.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Since 1969, Taurus singer-songwriter Willie Nelson has played his favorite guitar in over 10,000 shows. His name for it is Trigger. Willie doesn’t hold onto it simply for nostalgic reasons. He says it has the greatest tone he has ever heard in a guitar. Though bruised and scratched, it gets a yearly check-up and repair. Nelson regards it as an extension of himself, like a part of his body. Is there anything like Trigger in your life, Taurus? Now is a good time to give it extra care and attention. The same is true for all your valuable belongings and accessories. Give them big doses of love.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): When I worked as a janitor at India Joze restaurant in Santa Cruz, California, I did the best I could. But I was unskilled in the janitorial arts. I couldn’t fix broken machines and I lacked expertise about effective cleaning agents. Plus, I was lazy. Who could blame me? I wasn’t doing my life’s work. I had no love for my job. Is there an even remotely comparable situation in your life, Cancerian? Are you involved with tasks that neither thrill you nor provide you with useful education? The coming months will be an excellent time to wean yourself from these activities.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I foresee two possible approaches for you in the coming months. Either will probably work, so it’s up to you to decide which feels most fun and interesting. In the first option, you will pursue the rewards you treasure by creating your own rules as you outfox the system’s standard way of doing things. In the second alternative, you will aim for success by mostly playing within the rules of the system except for some ethical scheming and maneuvering that outflank the system’s rules. My advice is to choose one or the other, and not try to do both.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Please note that during the next 12 months, I may seem a bit pushy in my dealings with you. I will encourage you to redefine and enhance your ambitions. I will exhort you to dream bigger. There may come

By Rob Brezsny

times when you wish I wouldn’t dare you to be so bold. I will understand, then, if you refrain from regularly reading my horoscopes. Maybe you are comfortable with your current type of success and don’t want my cheerleading. But if you would welcome an ally like me — an amiable motivator and sympathetic booster — I will be glad to help you strive for new heights of accomplishment.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Three months after Rachel Denning bore her fourth child, she and her husband sold everything they owned and embarked on a nomadic life. They have been roaming ever since, adding three more kids along the way. She says they have become addicted to “the personal transformation that travel extracts.” She loves how wandering free “causes you to be uncomfortable, to step out of the familiar and into the unknown. It compels you to see with new eyes and to consider things you had never been aware of. It removes preconceptions, biases, and small-mindedness.” If you were ever going to flirt with Rachel Denning’s approach, Libra, the next 12 months would be a favorable time. Could you approximate the same healing growth without globetrotting journeys? Probably. Homework: Ask your imagination to show you appealing ways to expand.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Among the Europeans who first settled in South America were Jews who had been forcibly converted to Christianity by Portuguese and Spanish persecutions. Centuries later, some families resolved to reclaim their Jewish heritage. They led a movement called la sangre llama — a Spanish phrase meaning “the blood is calling.” I invite you to be inspired by this retrieval, Scorpio. The coming months will be an excellent time to commune with aspects of your past that have been neglected or forgotten. Your ancestors may have messages for you. Go in search of missing information about your origins.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you simply let the natural flow take you where it will in the coming weeks, you would become a magnet for both degenerative and creative influences. Fortunately, you are reading this oracle, which will help ensure the natural flow won’t lead you toward degenerative influences. With this timely oracle, I am advising you to monitor and suppress any unconscious attractions you might have for bewildering risks and seemingly interesting possibilities that are actually dead ends. Don’t flirt with decadent glamour or fake beauty, dear Sagittarius! Instead, make yourself fully available for only the best resources that will uplift and inspire you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Capricorn politician Robert F. Kennedy

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Off the coast of West Africa is an imaginary place called Null Island. A weather buoy is permanently moored there. Geographers have nicknamed it “Soul Buoy.” It’s the one location on Earth where zero degrees latitude intersects with zero degrees longitude. Since it’s at sea level, its elevation is zero, too. I regard this spot as a fun metaphor for the current state of your destiny, Gemini. You are at a triple zero point, with your innocence almost fully restored. The horizons are wide, the potentials are expansive, and you are as open and free as it’s possible for you to be.

Jr. is campaigning to be U.S. president. But oops: He recently confessed that a parasitic worm once ate a portion of his brain, damaging his memory and cognitive skills. “The worm is dead now,” he assured us, as if that were a good reason to vote for him. Why am I bringing this up? Like most of us, you have secrets that if revealed might wreak at least a bit of mayhem. As tempting as it might be to share them with the world — perhaps in an effort to feel free of their burden — it’s best to keep them hidden for now. Kennedy’s brain worm is in that category. Don’t be like him in the coming weeks. Keep your reputation and public image strong. Show your best facets to the world.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The English and French word “amateur” comes from amatus, the past participle of the Latin word amare, which means “to love.” According to one definition, an amateur is “someone who pursues sports, studies, or other activities purely for pleasure instead of for financial gain or professional ad vancement.” In accordance with astrologi cal omens, I encourage you to make this a featured theme in the coming months. On a regular basis, seek out experiences simply because they make you feel good. Engage in lots of playtime. At least parttime, specialize in fun and games.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Good news, Pisces: In the coming weeks, one of your flaws will mysteriously become less flawed. It will lose some of its power to undermine you. If you engage in focused meditation about it, you could rob it of even more of its obstructive force. More good news: You will have an enhanced capacity to distinguish between skillful pretending and earthy authenticity. No one can trick you or fool you. Can you handle even more good news? You will have a skillful knack for finding imperfect but effective solutions to problems that have no perfect solution.

MAKE YOUR CLOSET HAPPY, MANE.

Emerging Complexity

Net ix’s sci- animated series Scavengers Reign is a thing of rare beauty.

In writing class, they teach about the di erent kinds of con icts a story can center around. Person vs. person is the most common, but there’s also person vs. self, person vs. fate, and person vs. society. Person vs. nature (formerly known as “man vs. nature”) is not nearly as common as it was a hundred years ago, back in the days of frontier and jungle adventure magazines. at’s one of the reasons the sci- animated series Scavengers Reign is so refreshing. Its take on the classic story of a shipwrecked crew struggling to survive in a hostile wilderness is simple at rst, but becomes more fascinating as complexities emerge. In fact, “emerging complexity” is one of the overarching themes of the 12-episode story. Creators Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner are fascinated with the interplay of life-forms, both cooperation and con ict, which create a functioning ecosystem. e world they have created is unlike anything you’ve seen.

Scavengers Reign begins with its castaways, survivors from the crew of the cargo ship Demeter 227, already stranded on the planet Vesta. Azi (voiced by Wunmi Mosaku), the capable quartermaster, is paired with her robot Levi (Alia Shawkat). eir escape pod landed safely on open ground, and Azi uses an omniwheel motorcycle to scout the surrounding terrain. When Levi starts acting odd, Azi discovers that a fungus-like alien life-form has been growing on the robot’s circuitry — and the robot likes it.

Ursula (Sunita Mani), a biologist, was in the escape pod with Sam (Bob Stephenson), the captain of the Demeter. eir landing was a little rougher, but they have managed to salvage enough gear to communicate

with the fatally damaged ship still in orbit. In the pilot episode, “ e Signal,” the pair travel to retrieve a battery from another crashed escape pod. Once they get there, they see that the crew have all been killed by some unknown environmental hazard, which they then have to face. But that’s business as usual on this planet.

e occupant of the third escape pod has it the worst. It landed in a tree-like plant hundreds of feet tall, and Kamen (Ted Travelstead) has been trapped inside for weeks. He is nally rescued (if you want to call it that) by a creature he names Hollow. Imagine a cross between a platypus and a koala bear with psychic powers which it uses to dominate other lifeforms. Instead of making little green tripod-thingies bring them yummy berry-like spheres, Hollow latches onto the human and demands Kamen hunt for him. In Kamen’s mind, it speaks to him in the form of Fiona (also voiced by Alia Shawkat), Demeter’s robotics engineer. Hollow uses Kamen’s guilt over their dysfunctional relationship against him, and his already fragile psyche slowly crumbles.

PHOTOS: COURTESY NETFLIX e world of Vesta is endlessly complex.

were lost in space and written o by their employers.

Sam and Ursula succeed in contacting the ship, and they manage to activate the automatic landing sequence. At rst, they’re worried it might land on top of them. en they discover they didn’t get that lucky. e Demeter lands many kilometers away from all three parties. e rst half of the story is taken up with their increasingly frantic and costly attempts to make it to the ship. Once there, they will nd that this world has even more surprises in store. As the show progresses, ashbacks start to ll in the details of how they got here, and who they were before they

Anime’s dominant visual style has become so pervasive that I hear stories from art teachers about begging their young students to try to draw something else. Scavengers Reign owes a debt to Miyazaki’s sense of grandeur and deliberate pacing, and Akira’s pervasive body horror. But Bennett and Huettner’s aesthetic is more like the French illustrator Moebius. e world of Vesta is endlessly complex, with many animals and plants living in such close symbiosis that it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Our heroes are constantly dodging predators, both animals and plants. But many of their interactions with the native ora and fauna aren’t so cut and dried. When Ursula is trapped inside a living wall of thorns, Sam freaks out. But Ursula insists she was

never in danger, and in fact might have even been communicating with the giant plant-like organism. What were they saying? She doesn’t know. But as the story progresses, the survivors slowly learn to stop trying to conquer nature, and start trying to live in harmony with it. at’s what makes this beautiful and thought-provoking show such a treasure.

Scavengers Reign is streaming on Net ix.

Our critic picks the best films in theaters.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die Detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) return in the buddy-cop action comedy franchise. They’re investigating corruption in the Miami Police Department, when their former captain is accused of being in bed with the Romanian mafia. When they’re set up to take the fall, they’re pursued by a U.S. Marshal, played by Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn. Directing team Adil and Bilall return, replacing Michael Bay who started the franchise in 1995.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

George Miller’s return to the Wasteland is epic in every sense of the word. The story

of how Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), the heroine of Fury Road, came to be an Imperator in the army of Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) spans 15 years and includes some of the most intense action sequences you’ll ever see. Chris Hemsworth gives the greatest performance of his career as the warlord Dementus, who drives a freakin’ chariot pulled by motorcycles.

The Watchers

Dakota Fanning stars as Mina, who gets lost in an Irish forest. She soon discovers she is not alone. There are others lost there, and a group of mysterious figures in masks watching them. This can’t end well, especially because it’s directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of suspense director M. Night Shyamalan, who also executive produced.

THE LAST WORD

By Patricia Lockhart

Summer Learning

A well-balanced, real-world curriculum for teens and tweens.

It’s o cially summer! My kids are completely elated, and to be honest, so am I. But as an educator, I’m always asked, “What are your kids doing during the summer?” Well, the short answer is they are still learning. While their traditional school may be out, summer learning in my household is in full e ect. My kids are 10, twin 12-year-olds, and a 15-year-old (OMG, he’ll start driving this summer!).

Here’s what this curriculum looks like:

• Learn how to read the MATA bus schedule and ride the bus across town. I know that Uber is a thing, but I still believe in public transportation. I feel that people should know how to travel in their city in all formats.

• Put together a shelf. Following directions is a learned skill. And following printed instructions is even more di cult. So each of my kids will be required to purchase a shelf (using their allowance) and put it together by themselves.

• Read an autobiography. You don’t have to experience life’s hard lessons in order to learn from them. One can gain a lot of insight about life from reading about someone else’s experience.

• Paint a wall. Okay, I’m sure there’s some educational aspect to painting a wall, but honestly I just want a few accent walls in the house and the kids have nothing but time.

• Learn the lyrics to important Disney songs. So far, they have failed their “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. Up next is “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas. My kids have near zero music knowledge, unless it comes from video games. And I refuse to have them embarrassing the family name because they don’t know a single song from e Lion King. So, may the odds be ever in their favor.

• Learn how to bake the perfect cookie. is task shouldn’t be too hard since I’ve given them the recipe to the perfect cookie dough base. Especially since the end product is so delicious, they should be extra motivated to get it right. e secret is in the temperature.

• Learn how to make strawberry jam. In order to do this, they need to rst pick some fresh strawberries from Jones Orchard. en follow a simple recipe and voilà! I can’t wait to see if the kids get the consistency right and are able to explain why. Science!

• Grocery shop and prepare meals. During the school year, I did the grocery shopping. As a family, we each took turns to prepare dinners. My husband, my oldest son, and I each had our own day. e twins and the youngest daughter shared a day. But now, they must learn and strengthen their tech muscles and stretch their cooking skills. Each kid is responsible for going on kroger.com and putting their needed items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner into the shopping cart for review. ey must also notify me of the lunch and the dinner they will be preparing the following week.

• Learn how to operate Google Calendar. With four kids, each wants to hang out with their friends and go to di erent events. It can become overwhelming trying to remember everything for everyone. So if they want to engage in anything outside of the four walls of our house, they must send us a Google Calendar invite.

• Learn how to navigate public spaces. I think this may be the only part of summer learning they are looking forward to. One day a week, they get to decide where they would like to hang out. In navigating public spaces, they need to practice respect of the place and the people, noise level control, and basic street-smarts. ey’re already excited about practicing this at the MoSH, Crosstown Concourse, Memphis Chess Club, and the library.

• Learn how to play spades. ( is is a prerequisite to gaining their Black Card.)

• Learn about music greats such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Prince, Miles Davis, and Sam Cooke to name a few. ey will be given a playlist that they are more than welcomed to listen to as they clean their rooms.

rough this summer learning curriculum, the kids utilize their reading, math, science, and social studies skills. ey are learning things that they wouldn’t necessarily get in an ordinary classroom. I have always believed that I am my child’s rst teacher, and there’s no way that our school systems can teach our children everything. One thing that I have learned in my years as an educator is that children will learn! ey are going to learn something, from someone or from somewhere. It’s up to us as parents to ensure their learning is rounded and balanced.

Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. Her days are lled with laughter with her four kids and charming husband. By day, she’s a school librarian and writer, but by night … she’s asleep. @realworkwife @memphisismyboyfriend

PHOTO: COURTESY PATRICIA LOCKHART is family’s got some summer learning ahead.